Fairy Wrasse?

[tanner86]

We have had 3 of the painted fairy wrasse and all 3 have died. They do great for 2 days and then go hide, not eat, and eventually die. The last one was hassled for a few hours by my flasher wrasse, but it was no major fighting. I was thinking of buying one more painted fairy wrasse and a radiant wrasse. I would introduce them into the tank together and see if the painted fairy had a better shot at survival.
Currently my tank is stocked with: 140gal

carpenter's wrasse
lubbock's wrasse
mandarin dragonet
bar goby
orange diamond goby
yellow head goby

I am looking to add a radiant wrasse and painted wrasse.
http://www.marinedepotlive.com/painted-fairy-wrasse---cirrhilabrus-solarensis-fish--wrasses.html">http://www.marinedepotlive.com/painted-fairy-wrasse---cirrhilabrus-solarensis-fish--wrasses.html</a>

Any advice on if all the fish will be compatible and if adding two fish at one time will give enough distraction for the painted fairy to acclimate? Also, are the fish healthy coming from marinedepot.com?

 

[jessezm]

The solarensis is a pretty docile wrasse, so it would make sense it's getting harrassed some. That said, I wouldn't think a flasher would really pose a mortal threat. You may have just got a few that were doomed to begin with. I might try a different retailer. I got mine from blue planet and it was healthy as could be, and nice and fat, too. I don't see how adding the radiant and solar together would be detrimental, so you may as well give it a shot.

As far as ordering, I would get one local (again, try blue planet), and watch it in the store for a few days to make sure it seems healthy and happy.

 

[tanner86]

I would love to buy locally if I could find a store that carried both at the same time. I can never find the radiant wrasse. Blue Planet is a haul from here, but if they had both I would make the trip. Do you have any acclimation tips for the solar that would make his entry a little smoothier?

 

[FutureInterest]

Both are excellent choices. I find that most wrasses flashers/fairies will leave radiants alone. They simply don't seem to recognize them as a conspecific. Flashers and fairies are both territorial to some degree. The fact that your solars go into seclusion after a few days is usually a sign of illness. From personal experience, I find that the solorensis are in general one of the least hardy of the family. I'm not sure if its the collection technique or what, but I lost one from treatment for air-bladder infection and another from the very symptoms you experienced. I've only lost three wrasses to illness and two times it was a solorensis the other was a radiant.

If aggression from the flasher is truly an issue I would recommend that you "Simonise" your tank. Which is to print out pictures of the fish you are adding and tape them to the glass. It will confuzzle your territorial fish and buy your new one some respite.

 

[greenhut]

Marine Fish had 2 Solarensis on Sun....

 

[tanner86]

I think I will give it a try with the solar and radiant. If the solar doesn't make it this time then I'm done with that particular wrasse. I saw Marine Fish had the solar but I need the radiant wrasse at the same time. I am hoping to distract the flasher with radiant and give the solar more time to acclimate and feel safe.
How many fairy wrasse can you put in a 140gal and all be happy?

 

[FutureInterest]

I'm telling you that its not going to make much of a difference if you add them at the same time. The carpenter which is in the fairy/flasher family won't care much or at all about the radiant which is in the halichores family. It seems silly, but taping pics of other related wrasses to the glass will be much more effective in distracting the carpenter. Getting a healthy solar to begin with is equally important.

As for how many fairies you can have in your 140? I have 6 in my 84 with a total of 18 fish. I plan on adding one or two more wrasses when they become available. There is no hard and fast rule on the number of fairy/flasher wrasses. Typically, the males are more aggressive to other males so I usually add females to the tank. I usually intro them to the tank in an acrylic specimen container. When the newcomer is eating nicely and the residents are no longer attacking them I let them go into the general population.

 

[mvm]

I agree with Jin. My wrasses(2 flame, mcoskers, mysteri, lubbocks, whipfin) all ignore the radiant. Jin, what wrasse do you currently have?

 

[FutureInterest]

As always you have a nice collection especially with those flame wrasse. I hope you sell your house soon as I'm waiting patiently on them! Currently, I have a lineatus, exquisite, solar, 2 mckoskers, and a two-spot hogfish which is basically a wrasse.

 

[skriz]

Jin, what acrylic specimen container do you use? I need one

 

[greenhut]

My small female Hawaiian Flame Wrasse nipped a bit at my much larger male solar when first added, but they soon got along fine.

 

[tanner86]

If I was to get a mysteri wrasse, should it be added last? I know they can be aggressive and potentially kill the other wrasses in the tank. Has anyone had any experience with the mysteri?

 

[mvm]

Mine is pretty aggressive, but not to the point where he has chased and killed any fish. He just let's them know he's the boss. Definately add last, and add any shrimp you plan to have before you add one as well.

 

[ejorg2]

I agree that adding the two together will not make any difference, the radiant wrasse is going to bury itself in the sand and really won't offer any distraction. I'd isolate or qt him and make sure he's eating well and rested before dropping him in the display.

 

[cameron]

You can always put the fish in a small nursery acrylic hanging box for a day or so. This will let the other wrasse approach but not get at the new wrasse. This can sometimes soften the initial introduction.

BTW, Tim in Snellville will likely be able to get any wrasse you want.

 

[tanner86]

Thanks, I'll try a hanging box when it arrives. Maybe a few days of the flasher seeing the other wrasse before it is freed will help. How far is Snellville from Kennesaw?